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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 540 822 2 



Vvs^/>te. Tre-etits , fete l7lo~ 1774 (_i-cvAAS X V^ 



PRliXTMTKARV CONVirT!TION BETWEEN THE 
KINGS 0^ FRANCE AKT SPAIN, for the 
CESSirv 0? LOUISIA^'^A T^ THE LATTER. 

Fontainebleau,1762. 



[Photostat copy from 24th Congress , 2d sess . Senate 
doo.no. 49, Jan. 4, 1B37, p.3-5J 
(Congressional series of U.G. public documents, 
serial no. 29 7) 



Preliminary Convention between the Kings of France and Spain, for 
the cession of Louisiana to the latter. 

Translkteil from a certified copy of the original in Ihe French language, depoiiled in ihe ar- 
chives ot the Department of Slate at Madnd. 

The most Christian King being firmly resolved to strengthen and per- 
petuate the bonds of tender amity which unite him to his cousin the Ca- 
tholic King, proposes in consequence to act with his Catholic Majesty at 
all times and in all circumstances, in a perfect uniformity of principles, 
for the common glory of their house and the reciprocal interests of their 
kingdoms. 

With this view, his most Christian Majesty, being fully sensible of the 
sacrifices made by the Catholic King, in generously uniting with him for 
the restoi ation of peace, desires, on this occasion, to give him a proof of 
the strong interest which he takes in satisfying him and affording advan- 
tages to his crown. 

The most Christiaa_King has accordingly authorized his minister, the 
Duke de Choiseul,to deliver to the Marquis de Grimaldi,the ambassador 
of the Catholic King, in the most authentic form, an act, whereby his 
most Christian Majesty cedes in entire possession, purely and simply, 
without exception, to his Catholic Majesty and his successors, in perpe- 
tuity, all the country known under the name of Louisiana, as well as 
New Orleans and the island in which that place stands. 

But as the Marquis de Grimaldi is not informed with sufficient pre- 
cision of the intentions of his Catholic Majesty, he has thought proper 
only to accept the said cession conditionally, and tub spe rati, [under ex- 
pectation that it will be ratifiedy] until he receives the orders expected 
by him from the King his master, which, if conformable with the desires 
of his mdst Christian Majesty, as he hopes they will be, will be followed 
by the authentic act of cession of the said country ; stipulating also 
the measures and the time, to be fixed by common accord, for the evacua- 
tion of Louisiana and New Orleans, by the subjects of his most Christian 
Majesty, and for the possession of the same by those of his Catholic 
Majesty. 

In testimony whereof, we, the respective ministers, have signed the 
present preliminary convention, and have affixed to it the seals of our 
arras. 

Done at Fontainebleau, on the third of November, one thousand seven 
hundred and sixty -two. 

The DUKE DE CHOISEUL, 
The MARQUIS DE GRIMALDL 

A true copy from the original. 

The DUKE DE CHOISEUL. 

To the copy from which the above translation was made, are appended 
the certificates of Don Ceferino Cevallos, archivist of the Department of 
State of Spain, to its exact conformity with the original ; and of Don 
Angel Calderon de la Barca, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipo- 
tentiary of Spain in the United States, of its having been received by 



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[ 40 ] 4 

him from the first Secretary of State of Spain, and delivered to the hon- 
orable J. M. White, of Florida. 

The translation was faithfully made by Robert Greenhow, translator 
of foreign languages to the Department of State of the Inited States. 
Washington, March 24, 1836. 



D. 

Definitive act of cession of Louisiana by the King of France to the 

A'i"g of »S^oiri. 

■ ^ 

TraiuUtcd by Robert Greenhow, translator of foreififn languages to tlie Department of Slate, 
from an authentic copy of the original in the Department of SUte of Rpain, to which 
copy arc appentled the certi6cate of Don Ccferino Ctvallos, archivist of tlic Department 
of State of Spain, ihat it is a tnie c«>py from the original, an«I the certificate of Don A. 
Calderon de la liarca, envoy extraordinary i«nd minister plenipottntianr of Spain in the 
United States, that it was receired by him officially from the first SecreUry of State of 
Spain, and delivered to tl>e Hbn. J. M. White, of Florida. 

Louis, by the grace of God, King of PVance and Navarre, to all to 
whom these presents shall come, greeting : Whereas our very dear and 
well-beloved cousin the Duke de Choiseul, peer of our realm, knight of 
our orders and of the golden fleece, lieutenant general of our armies, 
governor of Touraine, colonel general of the Swiss and Orisons, 
grandmaster and superintendent general of the posts and relays of 
France, our minister and secretary of state for the departments of war 
and marine and the correspondence with the courts of .Madrid and Lis- 
bon, did sign, in our name, with the Marquis de Grimaldi, knight of our 
orders, gentleman of the chamber, in exercise of our very dear and well- 
beloved brother and -cousin the Catholic King, and his ambassador extra- 
ordinary near us, a preliminary convention, whereby, in order to give to 
our said brother and cousin a new testimonial of our tender friendship, 
of the strong interest which we take in satisfying him and promoting the 
welfare of his crown, and of our sincere desire to strengthen and render 
indissoluble the bonds which unite the French and Spanish nations, we 
ceded to him entire and perpetual possession of all the country known 
under the name of Louisiana, together with New Orleans and the island 
in which that city stands, which convention hrid only been signed con- 
ditionally and sub spe rati by the Marquis de Grimaldi : and whereas 
our said brother and cousin the Catholic King, animated by tiic same 
sentiments towards us which we have evinced on this occasion, has 
agreed tolhe said cession, and ratified the conditional acceptation made 
by his saici ambassador extraordinary, which convention and ratification 
are hete inserted word for word as follows : 

Don CarloA, by the grace of God, King of Castile, of Leon, of Arra- 
gon, of the Two Sicilies, of Jerusalem, of Navarre, of Granada, of Tole- 
do, of Valencia, of Gallicia, of Majorca, of Seville, of Sardinia, of Cor- 
dova, of Corsica, of Murcia, of Jaen, of the Algarves, of Algesiras, of 
GibraMar, of the Canary islands, of the East arid West Indies and the 
islands and main land of the ocean, archduke of Austria, duke of IJurgun- 
dy, of Brabant and Milan, count of Hapshurg, of Flanders, of Tyrol, and 
of Barcelona, lord of Biscay and of Molina, ^cc. 



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Whereas, on the third day of the present month, the preliminaries of 
a peace were signed between the crowns of Spain and France on the 
one part, and those of England and Portugal on the other, and the 
most Christian King my very dear and well-beloved cousin, purely from 
the nobleness of his heart, and the love and friendship in which we live, 
thought proper to dis{H)se that the Marquis de CSrimaldi, ray ambassador 
extraordinary near his royal person, and the Duke de Choiseul, his min- 
ister of slate, should on the same day sign a convention by which the 
crown of PVance ceded immediately to that of Spain the country known 
by the name of Louisiana, together with New Orleans and the island in 
which that city stands, and by which my said ambassador agrees to the 
cession only conditionally sub spe ratiy as he is not furnished with or- 
ders to execute it absolutely ; the tenor of which convention is the 
following : 

The most Christian King, being firmly resolved to strengthen and 
perpetuate the bonds of tender amity which unite him to his cousin the 
Catholic King, proposes in consequence to act -with his Catholic Ma- 
jesty at all times and in all circumstances, in a perfect uniformity of 
principle, for the common glory of their house and the reciprocal inter- 
ests of (heir kingdoms. 

With this view, his most Christian Majesty being fully sensible of the 
sacrifices made by the Catholic King in generously uniting with him for 
the restoration of peace, desires, on this occasion, to give him a proof of 
the strong interest which he takes in satisfying him and affording adTan- 
tages to his crown. 

Th^most Christian King has accordingly authorized his minister, the 
Duke de (Mioiseul, to deliver to the Marquis de Grimaldi, the ambassador 
of the Catholic King, in the most authentic form, an act whereby his 
most Christian Majesty cedes in entire possession, purely and simply, 
without exception, to his Catholic Majesty and his successors, in perpe- 
tuity, all the country known under the name of Louisiana, as well as 
New Orleans and the island in which that place stands. 

But, as the Marquis de Crimaldj is not informed with sufficient precis- 
ion of the intentions of his Catholic Majesty, he has thought proper only 
to accept the said cession conditionally and sub spe ra/t, until he re- 
ceives the orders expected by him from the king his master, which, if 
conformable with the desires of his most Christian Majesty, as he hopes 
they will be, will be followed by the authentic act of cession of the said 
country, stipulating also the measures and the time, to be fixed by com- 
mon accord, for the evacuation of Louisiana and New Orleans by the 
subjects of his most Christian Majesty, and for the possession of the same 
by those of his Catholic Majesty. 

In testimony whereof, we, the respective ministers, have signed the 
present preliminary convention, and have affixed to it the seals of our 
arms. 

Done at Fontainebleau on the third of November, one thdasand seven 
hundred and sixtv-two. 

The dike DE CHOISEUL, 
The marquis DE GRIMALDI. 



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